Bail decision reserved in farmyard shooting
NORTH BATTLE FORD, SASK. • Gerald Stanley, accused of second-degree murder in the farmyard shooting death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie, will remain in custody until at least Friday after a judge reserved his decision in a bail hearing.
Following a two-hour hearing Thursday afternoon in North Battleford Queen’s Bench Court — Stanley’s second court appearance of the day — the judge reserved his decision for at least 24 hours.
Emotions were high in the courtroom, as several members of Boushie’s family cried loudly and others were helped out of the courtroom by supporters. Stanley showed almost no emotion, only turning his head several times to make eye contact with his lawyer.
Stanley, 54, was charged after Boushie was fatally shot on his property on Aug. 9.
The large courtroom was filled to capacity with more than 100 people, while at least the same number remained outside. Photo-waving supporters of Boushie had gathered throughout the day, chanting “Justice for Colten” outside the provincial courthouse after Stanley pleaded not guilty to seconddegree murder.
The crowd, which peacefully conducted a silent rally before Stanley’s first court appearance, chanted as family and supporters of both the victim and the accused emerged following the morning appearance. Stanley was still during the threeminute appearance. His only word — “Morning” — was in reply to the judge.
The hearing had barely started when it was adjourned for five minutes; noise from supporters outside made it too difficult for the stenographer to hear.
The rally for Boushie included drummers, sweetgrass and prayers. Many of the signs held by his supporters included the words #Indigenous-Lives-Matter. The crowd appeared to be roughly half indigenous and half non-indigenous.
Members of Stanley’s family were escorted without incident by several RCMP members throughout the day.
Defence lawyer Scott Spencer released a statement on behalf of the Stanley family Thursday, expressing condolences to Boushie’s family and calling his death “a tragedy.”
Stanley is scheduled to return to court Sept. 13 to determine a date for a preliminary hearing.
“Somebody took him. So sudden, so sudden. Now I have to share these stories with my nephew, with my sons, about Coco,” said Colten’s brother, William Boushie. “I have to share these stories with them because they won’t get to grow up and cherish this life with him. I’m grieving right now.
“My brother was a man of his community ... He served his people right and it makes me happy to see everybody here today because Coco would want that.”
According to Boushie’s uncle, Alvin Baptiste, Boushie and four friends had been swimming and drinking at a lake on Aug. 9 and pulled on to Stanley’s property after they experienced car trouble on their way home to the Red Pheasant First Nation. Following a heated argument, Boushie was shot while still in the car.
RCMP said the people in the car with Boushie were taken into custody as part of a related theft investigation, but no charges were laid.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations has criticized the RCMP for the way it has presented the shooting and has called the shooting a “crime based on race.”
Boushie’s death has exposed tensions between some First Nations, rural residents and the RCMP and has sparked so many racist comments online that Premier Brad Wall took to social media this week to condemn them and to call on people to rise above intolerance.